Piston-ring-fitting machine



March 11, 1930. ,.5 s 1,750,195

PISTON-RING FITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 zcTl.

INVENTOR GRAN/SON -/7. 5ANDER$ 7 ATTORNEY March 11, 1939. E 1,750,195

PISTON RING FITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 llll llllll llllllllllllllllllllllll ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRANISON M. SANDERS, OF ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO INCLUDE L. LUCIE, OF ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA PISTON-RING-FITTING MACHINE v Application filed September 15, 1926. Serial No. 135,638.

My invention relates to piston rings for internal combustion engines and the like, and a purpose of my invention is the provision of a machine by which the grinding of piston rings incident to fitting them in engine cylinders can be accomplished with facility, dispatch and a mathematical exactitude heretofore unobtainable by the hand method of fitting.

It is also a purpose of my invention to pro- I vide a ring fitting machine which is adjustable to accommodate and grind rings of different diameter and having ring end surfaces of different angularities so that the machine is adaptable to the fitting of practically all forms and sizes of rings. I will describe only one form of piston ring fitting machine embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view showing in top plan one form of piston ring fitting machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a view showing in end elevation the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa fragmentary vertical section- .al view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention in its present embodiment comprises a frame F of rectangular form supported in an elevated position by legs 15 at the corners of the frame. As shown in Figure 2, one of the legs 15 has formed integral therewith a tubular bearing 16 in which a vertically .disposed shaft 17 is journaled carrying adjacent to its lower end a pin 18 which works in an arcuate slot 19 of a sleeve 20 surrounding the lower end of the shaft and provided with a knurled collar 21. A pin 22 extends-downwardly from the sleeve 20 and connected to this pm is one end of a contractile spring 23, the opposite end of the spring being connected to a pin 24 of an adjacent leg 15.

Fixed to the upper end of the shaft 17 is a tially by lines 42 an table 25 provided with a radial slot 26 for receiving a grinding wheel 27 fixed to one end of the shaft 28 1ournaled in a bearing 29 contained in an upright 30 formed integrally with the frame F. The opposite end of the shaft 28 is operatively connected to the shaft 31 of a motor M, the latter being suitably secured upon the frame F and operating to rotate the grinding wheel 27.

The radial slot 26 has secured to the paralthe table in either direction. These screws are threaded in heads 37 secured to hangers 38 by set screws 39, the heads 37 being formed with barrels 40 in which are rotatable cylindrical members 41 (graduated circumferenprovided at their outer ends with knurled heads 43. The members 41 are fixedly secured to the outer ends of the screws 35 and 36 and by virtue of the fact that the screws threadedly engage the heads 37 it will be clear that rotation of the members 41 in one direction or the other will cause an inward or outward feeding of the screws to vary the spaced relation of their ends with respect to the partition 34. The screws 35 and 36 are adapted to cooperate with the partition 34 in controlling the rotary movement of the table 25 in one direction or the other, and it will be manifest that the screws are capable of having micrometer adjustments to effect a corresponding control of the movements of the table 25 in effecting the accurate grinding of piston ring ends.

' In order that the machine may be adapted for the grinding of piston rings having ends cally mounted on screws 45threaded in the table and having knurled heads 46 which are adapted to c ampingly engage the abut -ments to lock them in any circumferentially manner shown in Figure 1, the rin being spread so that its ends can be -broug t into engagement with the outer sides of the limit ing lips 33. The ring is now pushed forwardly on the table until it en ages the abutments 44, the abutments then eing adjusted to the position shown in order that the right angular surface of one ring end is disposed in parallelism with the adjacent side surface of the grindingwheel 27. 1

Having first measured the internal diameter of an engine cylinder to which the ring is ada ted to be subsequently applied, followed by a measurement of the ring itself, the reduction in diameter of the rin necessary to have it properly fit within t e particular cylinder may thus be determined, and in accordance with this measurement the screws 35 and 36 are adjusted in the following manner to effect the necessary grindin of the ring ends in order to reduce it to sue diameter. With the table 25 urged in a clockwise direction as when viewed in Figure 1 through an adjustment of sleeve 20 to the position shown in Figure 4, by adjusting the screw 36 the table is positioned so that the grinding wheel clears the left hand limiting 33. The table is now manually move in a counter-clockwise direction and the screw 35 adjusted until the right hand end of the ring just contacts with the grinding wheel and its respective limiting lip 33. The table is now released and rotates in a clockwise direction under the action of the spring 23 until the screw 36 again abuts the partition 34. The screw 35 is then backed off the amount previously determined by actual measurement of the ring, which adjustment can be accurately made through the medium of the lines 42. With the screw 35 properly adjusted, it will be clear that by manually rotating the table in a counter-clockwise direction and against the tension of the spring 23 the right hand ring end will be moved in the direction of the inding wheel and with the latter rotating 1twill operate to grind the end an amount determined by the adj ustment of the screw 35. Following this operation the ring is reversed on the table so that the other end thereof is presented to the right side of the grinding wheelwhereby, upon again moving the table 25 in a counter-clockwise direction, the other end of the ring will be ground the same amount as the first end, thus securing the desired reduction in diameter of the ring to properly fit the cylinder. It is important to note that the ring ends are maintained at right angles to the grinding surface of the wheel 27 so that a right angular surface at both ends of the ring is insured. This is an important advantage provided by my invention, as in the previous hand methods of fitting rings seldom is a right angular surface secured with the result that the ring does not fit the cylinder. When grinding the ends of rings in which the joint between the ends is just the reverse of the joint of the ring shown in Figure 1, it is necessary that the table 25 be urged in a counter-clockwise direction, as in this form of ring first one end and then the other is presented to the left side of the grinding wheel, as when viewed in Fi urel. To urge the table'25 in a counter-cloc wise direction, the sleeve 20 is adjusted so that the spring 23 occupies the osition shown in dash lines in Figure 4. y an adjustment of first the screw 35 and then the screw' 36 in a manner reverse to that previously described, the tablecan beadjusted so that upon manual rotation thereof the piston ring ends can be successivel ground the required amount.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of piston ring fitting machine embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the spirit and scope of the appended claims. r

I claim as my invention 1. A piston ring fitting machine comprising grinding means, ring supporting means manually movable in one direction to cause one end of a ring thereon to have grinding engagement with the grinding means, yieldable means for urging the ring supporting means in another direction to maintain said end of the ring out of engagement with the grinding means, and adjustable means for determining the degree of manual movement of the supporting means in the first mentioned direction whereby the extent to which the ring end is ground can be predetermined.

2. A piston ring fitting machine as embodied in claim 1, wherein the grinding means and ring supporting means are correlated to permit reversal of the ring on the supporting means in a manner to present the other end of the ring to the grinding means. I

:3. A piston ring fitting machine comprisinga grinding element, a table upon which a piston ring is adapted to be supported, said table being rotatable to move the ring into grinding engagement with the element, means adjustable to control the extent of movement of the table whereby the degree of grinding of the ring can be accurately gaged, and abuts ments eccentrically mounted on the table to a manner to retain the original angle of the end surfaces.

4. A piston ring fitting machine comprising grinding means, ring supporting means manually movable in one direction to cause one end of a ring thereon to have grinding engagement with the grinding means, yieldable means for urging the ring supporting means in another direction to maintain said end of the ring out of engagement with the grinding means, and adjustable means for determining the degree of manual movement of the supporting means in the first mentioned direction whereby the extent to which the ring end is ground can be redetermined, said yieldable means being ad ustable to urge the ring supportingmeans in the first mentioned direction to render it adaptable to another form of ring and to maintain the other end thereof out of engagement with the grinding means.

5. A piston ring fitting machine comprising a piston rin supporting table having a radial slot therein, lips on the walls of the slot against which the ends of a piston ring are adapted to bear, abutments eccentrically mounted on the table at opposite sides of the slot, for positioning the rings in respect to the lips, a shaft to which the table is fixed for rotary movement, a sleeve on the shaft having a pin and slot connection therewith to provide an operative connection between the two and to ermit the sleeve to be adjusted to either oi two extreme positions, a spring operating to urge the sleeve to either posltion whereby the shaft is likewise urged to bias the table in one direction or the other depending upon the adjustment of the sleeve, a grinding wheel rotatable in the slot, a stationary partition, and screws havlng micrometer adjustments and coaeting with the partition to control rotative movement of the table in either direction.

6. A piston ring fitting machine comprising grinding means, ring supporting means movable in one direction to cause one end of Y a ring thereon to have grinding engagement with the grinding means, means for urging the ring supporting means in another direction to maintain said end of the ring out of engagement with the grinding means, and means for controlling the degree of movement of the supporting means in the first men- LlOIlGd. direction.

7 A piston ring fitting machine comprising a slotted ring sup orting table mounted for movement, a rindmg element projecting into the slot of tfie table, means on the table adapted to be engaged bya ring supported on the latter for'maintaining the ring ends spread apart with the grinding element interposed between the ends, and means for urging the table in one direction to maintain one of the ring ends out of engagement with the grinding element and yetpermit movement of the table in another direction to bring said ring end into grinding engagement with the grinding element.

8. A piston ring fitting machine comprising a slotted ring supporting table mounted for movement, a grinding element projecting into the slot of the table, means on the table adapted to be engaged by a ring supported on the latter for maintaining the ring ends spread apartwith the grinding element interposed between the ends, means for urging the table in one direction to maintain one of the ring ends out of engagement with the grind- 111" element and yet permit movement of the table in another direction to bring said ring end into grinding engagement with the grinding element, and means by which the urging action of the last means upon the table can be reversed so as to urge the table in the second mentioned direction and maintain the other ring end out of engagement with the grindin element, yet permitting movement of the ta le in the first mentioned direction to bring said other ring end into grinding engagement with the grinding element.

9. A piston ring fitting machine comprising a slotted ring supporting table mounted for movement, a grinding element projecting into the slot of the table, means on the table adapted to be engaged by a ring supported on the latter for maintaining the ring ends spread apart with the grinding element interposed between the ends, means for urgin the table in one direction to maintain one o? the ring ends out of engagement with the grinding element and yet permit movement of the table in another direction to bring said ring end into grinding engagement with the grinding element, and means adjustable to control the extent of movement of the table whereby the amount of grinding of the ring can be accurately gaged.

10. A piston ring fitting machine comprising grinding means, means upon which a piston ring is adapted to 'be supported with an end thereof 1n grinding relation to the grinding means, the grinding and rin supporting means being relatively mova le to permit said end of the ring to be brought into grinding engagement with the grinding element, means by which the extent of movement of the movable means can be accurately gaged to eflect grinding of said rin end a predetermined amount, and means or positioning comprises abutments adjustably mounted on the rin supporting means.

12. piston rin fitting machine comprising a grinding wheel, means for supporting a piston ring for movement to cause an end thereof to have grinding engagement with the wheel, means by which the extent of movement of the first means can be accurately gaged to effect grinding of the ring end a predetermined amount, and means for positioning an end of a ring irrespective of its an ularity in roper relation to the grinding wheel to e ect grinding thereof in a manner to retain its original an le..

GRANISN M. SANDERS. 

